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First Records of Possibly Human Pathogenic <i>Rickettsia</i> Species in Bat Ticks, <i>Carios vespertilionis</i>, in Sweden
oleh: Eszter Tompa, Thomas G. T. Jaenson, Peter Wilhelmsson
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2023-01-01 |
Deskripsi
The Soprano pipistrelle bat, <i>Pipistrellus pygmaeus</i>, is a common species in large parts of Sweden. Many of its natural habitats are near human habitations. This creates opportunities for ticks infesting these bats to encounter humans and possibly transmit zoonotic pathogens by tick bites. The bats are often infested with <i>Carios vespertilionis</i>, a tick species that, in addition to bats, has been recorded to bite humans on occasion. This study aimed to investigate if <i>C. vespertilionis</i> acts as a reservoir for <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, <i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i>, Tick-borne encephalitis virus, and species of <i>Babesia</i> and <i>Rickettsia</i> and to improve currently used conventional PCR protocols for molecular species determination of <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. Ninety-two <i>C. vespertilionis</i> ticks were collected from underneath a bat-box harbouring <i>P. pygmaeus</i>. Pathogen-specific PCR assays showed that 58.4% were positive for <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. and negative for the other pathogens analysed. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the species belong to <i>R. parkeri</i>, <i>R. conorii</i>, <i>R. slovaca</i>, <i>R. sibirica</i> subsp. <i>mongolotimonae</i>, <i>R. rickettsii</i>, and a hitherto uncultured <i>Rickettsia</i> sp. Several of these species are considered pathogenic to humans. Given the ecology and behaviour of <i>C. vespertilionis</i>, it may be a vector of these rickettsiae among bats and occasionally humans. To determine the <i>Rickettsia</i> species with certainty, and to determine if <i>C. vespertilionis</i> may be a reservoir and vector of the <i>Rickettsia</i> spp., further studies are needed.